'Ghost lady' explores Orange County's haunted places

Claudine Burnett, a librarian and historian, in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Anaheim. She recently released her book, "Haunted Long Beach 2." One of Burnett's stories takes place at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Anaheim in the early 1900s when police found a man digging up a grave.MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

HUNTINGTON BEACH–To believe or not to believe; that is the question Huntington Beach writer Claudine Burnett has been exploring for more than a decade.

Dubbed the ghost lady of Long Beach, Burnett says her years of research have made her more inclined to acknowledge the possibility of paranormal activity.

"With the people I've come across and their experiences I have to say yes, (I believe)" she said.

Burnett recently released her book "Haunted Long Beach 2", which includes ghostly tales of a handful of Orange County locations along with dozens of stories out of Long Beach.

The book is her second that offers possible explanations of strange happenings reported by residents from around Orange and Los Angeles counties.

CLICK ON THE SLIDESHOW TO TAKE A TOUR OF THE ORANGE COUNTY LOCATIONS IN BURNETT'S BOOK

Burnett started writing ghost stories as a project for the Historical Society of Long Beach. The group was looking to come up with a book or publication to grab the interest of residents and Burnett suggested logging people's oral histories of hauntings.

"I had some stories in our files (from old newspapers) about ghosts," Burnett said. "We also got stories from people in Long Beach."

Being a Long Beach librarian and an avid researcher, Burnett tries to corroborate the stories of ghostly activity using microfilms of old newspaper stories and county real estate records.

"That's how we uncovered a number of the ghosts," she said.

As with any haunted tale, solid proof is lacking but she has found some eerie coincidences that might make a skeptic rethink discounting the possibility of the paranormal.

Residents would come with reports of hearing strange noises or seeing a figure in their home and, in some cases, Burnett would uncover that there had been a murder there or the home was built near an ancient burial ground. In other cases, the description of the ghost would nearly match that of the person who had died.

However, Burnett also included rumored stories in her book that have been passed down for years, their tellers still seeking answers. These kinds of stories may just be urban legends, Burnett said.

"You have to take some of the stories with a grain of salt," she said.

Burnett's first book, released in 1996, became so popular among Long Beach residents that she was flooded with requests asking her to explain what they thought may have been a ghost encounter. When her first edition sold out, she declined to order more copies because of an overwhelming amount of visitors to her workplace.

"Somehow I became the ghost expert and they all knew how to find me," she said.

But now she is ready to re-enter the ghostly realm and has already received emails from people asking to explain their strange experiences. Burnett continues to study scientific explanations for the paranormal and every year gives a Halloween talk at the Long Beach library to share about the people she's encountered and their eerie stories.

Claudine Burnett, a librarian and historian, in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Anaheim. She recently released her book, "Haunted Long Beach 2." One of Burnett's stories takes place at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Anaheim in the early 1900s when police found a man digging up a grave. MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Paula Castro took this photo while visiting the Queen Mary with her family on Oct. 7. If you look closely, you can see what looks to be a transparent image walking behind Castro's family. Castro emailed the photo to Burnett asking for an explanation for the figure. She said it was around 9 p.m. and her family set their camera on a motorcycle, set the timer and posed for the shot. When they picked up the camera to review their shot they saw the image. Unsure of what it was, the family went to their car and uploaded it on their iPad to get a closer look at the image. Click on the next photo to see this figure a little more up close and personal. TEXT BY JAIMEE LYNN FLETCHER
A closer look at the image Castro captured in front of the Queen Mary. She told Burnett she is sure nobody else was in the area. Castro has contacted the Queen Mary to ask if any costumed actors were at the ship around this time notice his suit and hat seem to be of vintage style) but was told no, she said. Castro is looking for answers. She said she did not alter this photo in any way. So could it be a passerby who quietly walked behind the family while posing for their photo? Or is it a ghost making a nightly stroll around the rumored- to-be-haunted Queen Mary? Do you have a ghostly tale you want to share? Send it to jfletcher@ocregister.com TEXT BY JAIMEE LYNN FLETCHER/PHOTO COURTESY THE CASTRO FAMILY
The book by Claudine Burnett, "Haunted Long Beach 2."The book explores ghost stores in and around Long Beach including some tales of haunted spots in Orange County. MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Fullerton City Hall, pictured here, is one of a handful of Orange County spots featured in Claudine Burnett's book, "Haunted Long Beach 2," as a place of possible paranormal activity. She writes that when construction crews were building City Hall in 1941, human remains were found. It is said the spirits of some Native Americans linger around City Hall. FILE PHOTO, TEXT BY JAIMEE LYNN FLETCHER
According to Burnett's book, Fullerton seems full of areas with paranormal activity. Plummer Auditorium is on her list of haunted theaters in Southern California. The ghost of Louis Plummer has been reported lurking in the balcony. TEXT BY JAIMEE LYNN FLETCHER/PHOTO BY MARK RIGHTMIRE
Burnett says she remembers visiting the Liberty Theater at the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base as a young child to sneak in to horror films. She found a newspaper article that looked into alleged hauntings at the theater on the base. Actors at the theater have reported strange happening including seeing the lights go on and off by themselves and doors opening when nobody is near. Some have even said they've witnessed a ghostly sailor hanging around the theater, according to Burnett's book. FILE PHOTO, TEXT BY JAIMEE LYNN FLETCHER
Among the dozens of fabricated spirits concocted by Disney for its Haunted Mansion, it is rumored that a ghost of a little girl pays a visit to the ballroom in the ride, Burnett said. She reported a man rode the ride more than 30 times to log how many times he saw this apparition - sometimes she was there and sometimes she was not. There are a handful of "real ghost stories" circling the Web about the Haunted Mansion including some saying they've spotted an apparition that looks like a man with a cane and others reporting they've seen a ghost of a young boy crying in the corner. Are these stories true? Take a ride and see for yourself. TEXT BY JAIMEE LYNN FLETCHER/PHOTO BY MARK EADES
The Wild Goose, once owned by movie legend John Wayne, is still anchored in Newport Harbor. It is rumored Wayne's ghost still visits the WWII mine sweeper from time to time. The boat, which he sold before he died in 1979, is usually a major point of interest in Newport Beach's annual boat show. TEXT BY JAIMEE LYNN FLETCHER/PHOTO BY MICHAEL GOULDING
Somewhere between the Newport Bay and John Wayne Airport, a pilot reported he saw a phantom airfield appear. Burnett's book tells the story of a pilot who was having engine trouble and looking for a place to touch down. He reported he saw a paved airstrip below him but when he later circled the area in his plane he said it vanished. TEXT BY JAIMEE LYNN FLETCHER/PHOTO BY JEBB HARRIS
The Holy Cross Cemetery in Anaheim, is the scene of one of the stories in a book by Claudine Burnett, "Haunted Long Beach 2." The book explores ghost stores in and around Long Beach including some tales of haunted spots in Orange County. MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Claudine Burnett, talks about some of the stories that are in her book, "Haunted Long Beach 2." One of Burnett's stories takes place at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Anaheim in the early 1900s when police found a man digging up a grave. MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Claudine Burnett, a librarian and historian, stands next to a large memorial in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Anaheim. She recently released her book, "Haunted Long Beach 2." The book explores ghost stores in and around Long Beach including some tales of haunted spots in Orange County. MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Claudine Burnett recently released her book, "Haunted Long Beach 2." One of Burnett's stories takes place at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Anaheim in the early 1900s when police found a man digging up a grave. She stands under a large oak tree in the Anaheim cemetery. MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Claudine Burnett, a librarian and historian, stands in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Anaheim. She recently released her book, "Haunted Long Beach 2." The book explores ghost stores in and around Long Beach including some tales of haunted spots in Orange County. MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Claudine Burnett and her book, "Haunted Long Beach 2." The book explores ghost stores in and around Long Beach including some tales of haunted spots in Orange County. MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.